In the south of Afghanistan, Helmand Province was once at the centre of heavy fighting between the Taliban and NATO and the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces. Until 2021, NATO and the ANA tried to expel the Taliban from their heartland, but the latter fought back fiercely.
Today, the war has ended, but the danger has not disappeared. Across Helmand, landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other explosive items remain hidden in the ground. According to the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database, Helmand is still the most contaminated province in Afghanistan, particularly with unexploded ordnance (UXO) and IEDs.
Read more…
Source: The HALO Trust
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Pakistan: Balochistan terror attacks linked to Afghan-based networks
April 19, 2026
Senior provincial authorities on Saturday claimed that recent spikes in terrorism across Balochistan are directly linked to militant networks operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat, DIG CTD Aitzaz Goraya, and Special Assistant to the Home Department Babar Khan Yousafzai stated that terrorists routinely infiltrate from Afghan territory to execute strikes within ...
- Afghanistan: Saving lives in Helmand’s most conflict-affected communities
April 15, 2026
In the south of Afghanistan, Helmand Province was once at the centre of heavy fighting between the Taliban and NATO and the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces. Until 2021, NATO and the ANA tried to expel the Taliban from their heartland, but the latter fought back fiercely. Today, the war has ended, but the danger has ...
- Danish Refugee Council removes explosive ordnance from key humanitarian infrastructure supporting forced returnees in Afghanistan
April 7, 2026
The Danish Refugee Council has removed ten pieces of explosive ordnance from critical humanitarian infrastructure supporting forced returnees from Pakistan. This explosive ordnance was found following heavy fighting in March at the Torkham border area following the latest round of Pakistan–Afghanistan hostilities. Danish Refugee Council humanitarian mine action teams were called to the area following reports of ...
- Pakistan Sees 18% Drop In Violence In Q1 2026
April 1, 2026
During the first quarter of 2026, Pakistan recorded a nearly 18% quarter-on-quarter decline in violence related to terrorism and counter-terrorism, along with a mix of promising and concerning trends in the country’s security landscape. The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) tallied as many as 813 violence-linked fatalities and 518 injuries – among civilians, security ...
- Pakistan Carries Out Fresh Heavy Airstrikes on Kabul
March 16, 2026
Pakistan launched heavy bombardment targeting Afghanistan’s capital Kabul again, according to Taliban officials and residents reporting multiple explosions across the city. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the strikes, saying a drug rehabilitation hospital was hit and several civilians were killed. Videos shared by residents showed large explosions and fires in several parts of Kabul, with witnesses ...
- Pakistan, Afghan forces clash after days of hostilities
February 26, 2026
Pakistani and Afghan border forces clashed on Thursday night after the Taliban launched what it called retaliatory strikes on Pakistani installations, sharply escalating tensions after days of cross-border hostilities. Afghan forces opened fire on posts in Pakistan’s mountainous northwest, sparking more than two hours of fighting before Pakistani troops retaliated, Pakistani officials said, speaking on condition ...
- Pakistan carries out precision strikes on seven militant hideouts along Afghan border
February 22, 2026
Pakistan carried out intelligence-based strikes targeting seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Fitna al Khawarij (FAK), its affiliates and the Daesh-Khorasan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in response to recent suicide attacks, the government said early Sunday. According to the Ministry of Information, the operation was conducted “with precision and accuracy” as a retributive response to ...
- Afghanistan: The hidden explosive threat
February 16, 2026
In Afghanistan, the guns have fallen silent, but the war remains buried beneath the soil in the form of deadly explosive items, including landmines and unexploded remnants of war. The European Union supports mine clearance efforts so communities can safely use land for farming, housing, and schools, while also funding risk education and providing medical ...
- Afghanistan: Child killed, another child and their mother injured in explosion in Nangarhar
February 6, 2026
A child was killed andkwhen an unexploded shell detonated in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, Taliban officials said Thursday. The Taliban’s provincial police command said in a statement that the blast occurred in the Hisar Shahi village of Rodat district after several children collecting scrap metal brought home an old shell. Family members, unaware of the danger, ...
- UNSC members say IS-K in Afghanistan remains serious threat to region, beyond
February 5, 2026
Members of the UN Security Council warned on Tuesday that Islamic State’s Khorasan affiliate (IS-K) in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious threat to regional and international security, despite a reported decline in attacks. The council met under the agenda item “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts” to review the UN secretary-general’s ...
- Afghanistan: 87 killed by unexploded ordnance last year
February 4, 2026
At least 87 people were killed and 333 injured in incidents involving unexploded ordnance across Afghanistan over the past year, the Taliban-run disaster management authority (ANDMA) said on Wednesday. The ANDMA said 193 incidents linked to unexploded bombs and mines were recorded nationwide during the period. Mohammad Yousof Hamad, Taliban spokesman for the ANDMA, said the ...
- Afghanistan: ISKP claims responsibility for suicide attack on Chinese restaurant in Kabul
January 20, 2026
Islamic State Khorasan claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw area, killing seven people and wounding thirteen others. The explosion occurred at around 3 p.m. on Monday, January 19, at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul. Taliban authorities confirmed that seven people, including one Chinese national, were killed. Officials said ...
- Afghanistan: Landmine Blast Kills Child in Maidan Wardak
January 19, 2026
According to a statement from the Taliban’s provincial police command, the incident occurred on Sunday (January 18) in Puladkhana area of Maidan Shahr, the provincial capital. The statement said the explosion was caused by a landmine left over from previous conflicts and detonated while a group of children were collecting firewood in the area. Local authorities said ...
- Afghanistan: Unexploded ordnance threatens lives in Maidan Wardak
January 4, 2026
Residents of Chak district in central Afghanistan say unexploded ordnance left over from years of conflict poses a serious threat to civilians, particularly children, and has disrupted daily life by damaging roads and access to healthcare. Villagers told Amu TV that mines and other unexploded devices are scattered along main roads, rural paths and residential areas, ...
- Turkey: Senior figure of ISIS terror group captured in Afghanistan-Pakistan region
December 23, 2025
The individual had taken an active role in ISIS camps and had risen to a so-called administrator position over time. As a result of MIT’s intelligence work, it was identified that the individual was Mehmet Goren, codenamed Yahya, a so-called administrator, who had been tasked with carrying out suicide attacks on behalf of the terror ...
